Peripheral Vision
by Scented Candles
Summary: NejiHina Eventually, even the strongest ninja has to die. It’s the law of nature. Hinata is chosen to become a Shinigami and trained to take down those who try to defy the natural order of life and death. Orochimaru is only the beginning
1. Default Chapter

**Peripheral Vision**

**Standard Disclaimers Apply**

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Eventually, even the strongest ninja has to die. That's the law of nature. Hinata is chosen to become a Shinigami and is trained to take down those who try to defy the natural order of life and death. Can she handle it? Orochimaru is only the tip of the iceberg. NejiHina

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**Terms Used:**

**Shinigami: **literally means god of death. In this fic, not very many people know about them. They will be like the ANBU. Instead of hunting missing-nin, the **Shinigami** hunt down those who do not follow the law of life and death. Those who try to attain immortality or the ghosts of the departed who have not gone on to the Land of the Dead to be judged.

**Shikigami: **The Shinobi in Naruto have contracts with dogs, frogs, slugs and snakes. The **Shinigami **have contracts with the Shikigami and ask for their help and power.

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Chapter One:

There were moments in life when it was clear that you had come to a crossroad and you can look back and pinpoint when exactly your life path altered its course dramatically. For a lot of people in Konoha, it was the Chuunin exam held only a few months ago. It was the event that served as a catalyst for the changes that had befallen the Hidden Village of the Leaf.

It was snowing outside, the powdery substance blanketing the streets of Konoha, the trees, the grass and the flowers in white.

It covered everything both the good and the bad.

The Uchiha massacre survivor Uchiha Sasuke had run off after Orochimaru, lured by the promise of enough power so he may exact his revenge on his brother and avenge his clan.

Uzumaki Naruto, the one who served as the vessel for the demon Kyuubi, went off with Jiraiya to train and become stronger (and to get him far away from Itachi and the Akatsuki's clutches). His promise to Sakura that he would bring Sasuke back to her was at the forefront of his mind. He had made a promise and he had no intention of breaking it. It was his nindo to never go back on his word. What sort of Hokage would he be if he did not live up to his ninja way? Not a very good one, that was for sure.

He would not stop trying until he finally succeeds in bringing Sasuke back to Konoha.

Haruno Sakura, heartbroken over Sasuke's departure and his treason against not only Konoha but his friends as well, had turned towards studying to become a better ninja. She was taken as the new Hokage's apprentice and was practicing to be a medic-nin under Tsunade herself.

The genins, who had been sent to retrieve Sasuke, although they failed, were praised to high heavens for their valiant and heroic efforts in battle. Most of them would have died, had the Sand Siblings not arrived to intervene in time. As it were, Chouji, Kiba and Akamaru, Neji, Shikamaru and even Naruto had all incurred damage not only physically but mentally as well.

The lesson they learned that day would stay with them forever.

They were children forced to grow up too soon. As unfortunate as it was, that was the reality of their lives and their circumstance. Such was the life of a Shinobi; constant missions, battles, blood and death. The best thing the adults could do for the children was to train them hard and make sure that they had the ability to protect and defend themselves so they could survive.

Each ninja taken out in the line of duty was remembered, his or her name forever etched in a rock that stood for something solid and steady. The strength of Konoha built upon hundred and thousand of sacrificed lives.

This moment…this was the turning point of history and all of them knew it.

It had only just begun.

OOO

He could have lost his arm.

If it hadn't been for the Hokage's medical genius, he most likely would have.

The thought kept Neji awake at nights and haunted his dreams. He had defeated his enemy but he could still remember the spider webs, the sticky substance and the pain at having a hole punched into his body. His current level of strength had been barely enough to defeat the Sound Nin and if he had been just a bit lax in his training, no doubt he would have died. It was not a good thought and it pushed Neji to train harder and for longer hours.

He had to be better.

He had to improve.

There were much more stronger foes out there and he needed to be ready.

His feet made no sound against the wooden floor as he walked the halls of Hyuuga house like a ghost in middle of the night. He still had trouble sleeping and he hated arachnids with a passion he had previously reserved only for the Main House. He made a detour and headed for the back of the house towards the kitchen. Perhaps a glass of milk would help him sleep.

It had never worked before…but Neji had no other ideas so he didn't stop trying.

Maybe this time it would work.

Neji stepped into the cavernous Hyuuga kitchen used to cook meals for the numerous Hyuugas who inhabited the compound. He walked over to the refrigerator and took out a carton of milk before pulling out a glass from the cupboard and pouring it in. With his glass filled, Neji returned the carton inside the refrigerator and headed outside, towards the garden.

Perhaps some fresh air would do him some good.

If not, he could always go to the near-by dojo to train. His Uncle Hiashi had given Neji the note Hizashi had written. It explained to him that his father had not been forced into the role of the sacrificial lamb but had instead volunteered for it. It lessened some of Neji's anger and resentment towards the Main House but he had lived with it for so long that he knew it would take time for him to actually accept the familial relationship his uncle was extending to him.

The familial relationship Hinata had always extended towards him.

Neji's steps faltered at the thought of his younger cousin. He wondered if she was doing all right, if she had healed from the damage he had done. It still surprised him, thinking back on how she tried to stand up again and again even though it was obvious she had a snowball's chance in hell of ever actually defeating him.

That was her strength.

Her determination.

That was what showed that despite everything, she was a Hyuuga.

For a Hyuuga, Hinata was pretty pathetic but she was still worthy of the name.

OOO

Sweat poured down her temples and her whole body was sleek with perspiration from her exertion but Hinata didn't care. She needed to do this, to push herself to the limit and beyond. She needed to be strong, if only to show her support to Naruto in the only way she knew how.

She would make sure that his belief in her was not for nothing.

He had trusted her and had believed in her strength and she would not let him down.

She would not let Kurenai-sensei down.She would not let Kiba and Akamaru and Shino down.

Despite the burning ache in her chest, Hinata forced herself to continue. Despite the little amount of chakra she had left in her body, she forced herself to go on. Hands facing forward, feet firmly planted and ready to move at a split second, her balance centered. She started going through the forms of the gentle fist.

That was the beauty of her family's taijutsu. It was like a dance almost, but up close, the power was staggering. An opponent may block the physical blow but one can never truly defend against the invisible wave of chakra that flowed from each and every single attack. Coupled with the uncanny clarity of the Byakugan and it's 360 degree vision, the Hyuuga's gentle fist was a taijutsu that no other taijutsu in the world could completely defend against.

Hinata knew only the basic moves; not the Kaiten nor the 64 Hands of Hakke and it would be a long time before she was ready to learn them. It took an immense degree of chakra control and skill to be able to execute either of those two moves and now, with her body still recovering from Neji's assault, she was not strong enough to even attempt to perform them.

Hinata kept her balance on the balls of her feet and sprung forward, her left hand extended, her Byakugan activated. She twisted her arm as if to block an oncoming blow and turned it aside, jabbing her right hand into her imaginary opponents side. If it had connected with a real person, significant damage would have been done to the person's kidney and other internal organs.

Her breathing was coming in harsh, short pants but Hinata didn't stop.

She had to keep training.

She had to.

Hanabi was already ahead of her and so was Neji-niisan. If she stopped now, then the gap between her and them would only grow wider and she'd never be able to show them how much she'd improved. She wanted their approval, their acknowledgement. For once in her life, Hinata wanted to look at her sister, her father, her cousin, her family and see their eyes shine with pride instead of the pity, disgust, anger, hatred and disappointment she was used to seeing.

She wanted them to be proud.

She wanted them to be happy.

Across the training hall she saw a shadowy figure leaning against the wall, dressed in white robes and watching her with an almost beatific smile on his classically handsome face. Hinata stumbled in surprise at the sudden vision but the person disappeared so fast she was left wondering if it had only been a figment on her imagination.

Hinata's knees buckled and she fell on her hands and knees on the floor, coughing uncontrollably, blood splattering to the floor. She reached up a hand to grasp the front of her training shirt, thinking only to stop the searing pain that started to radiate from her chest to the tips of her fingers and toes.

The figure was kneeling in front of her, reaching out black clad arms to touch her face.

_Senihairu_, a voice whispered in her mind. _You can see me clearly now…_

Hinata tried to pull back but didn't have the energy.

She hacked up more blood.

Crimson liquid dripped from the corner of her mouth to the floor, only adding to the scarlet collage of blood already present in the hardwood floor.

The last thing Hinata heard before she passed out was Neji's exclamation as the door of the dojo was shoved open.

"HINATA-SAMA!"

OOO

There was an uneasy silence in Konoha as everyone prepared for the worst. It was not pessimism that urged such reactions through the citizens of The Leaf. It was battle readiness learned through years of living the life of a soldier. It was better to be prepared for the absolute worst scenario one can think of, instead of waiting around with blind optimism that somehow, everything was going to work itself out.

Faith was one thing.

Ignorance and stupidity was another.

Tsunade looked down at the reports she held in her hands. All in all, the village was still safe and secure and she had tightened the security around the perimeter. The fact that Itachi had managed to enter the village was no laughing matter. It was a security breach that could have caused Konoha hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives.

One by one, day by day the village was starting to recover and move on.

"Why anyone would want to be Hokage is beyond me," the blonde Sennin muttered with a sigh. "But then again, Naruto isn't exactly known for his brains is he? Bullheadedness, yes, but brains…?" a fond smile curled her lips at the thought of the boy she regarded as a younger brother, perhaps even a son. Whatever else flaws Naruto had, he was pure and he had a way of moving people.

If not for him, she never would have gone back to this village let alone accepted the position of Hokage.

Earlier in the day, the Aburame Clan Head had spoken to her about the strange behavior of the destruction bugs his family was so infamous for having. "They are reacting to strange shifts in the air, something is coming. They don't know what it is, but it is approaching our boarders."

About a few hours later, the Inuzuka Head had shown up with more of less the same findings. Something was approaching Konoha, something unknown but it stirred a reaction in the nin-dogs and the destruction bugs both of which were known for their heightened sense of feeling.

Tsunade could feel it too.

She could sense it.

As a medic-nin, there were times when even her most powerful jutsus failed to work. Times when she would sense that cold presence, that feeling of finality come over her like a dark cloud just before her patient died.

Tsunade could feel it now.

It was Death.

And it was approaching Konoha.

OOO

Shizune emerged from Hinata's hospital room and quietly closed the door behind her. Several Hyuugas awaited her on the other side and she was not looking forward to telling them about their heir's physical condition.

The girl lay in a medically induced coma to allow her body sufficient time to heal. The damage to the internal organs had been quite extensive and even the treatment she had received from Konoha's medics seemed to be doing little to help her body heal and to fix the damaged chakra pathways in Hinata's system.

According to Shizune's study of Hinata's condition, the slow improvement of her health and physical condition was strange. By all accounts, Hinata should have been healing by now. All the proper jutsus were in place but for some reason, her body seemed to be rejecting the healing.

It was as if something was draining off the child's chakra, her life force and Shizune was at a loss as to the reason what. She needed to confer with her Tsunade as soon as possible so they could find a way to reverse whatever it was that was happening to Hinata. Her eyes briefly touched upon the figure of a boy in his early teens, standing a bit to the back and to the side of the group. She remembered him.

He was Neji, one of the genins who had been tasked to retrieve Sasuke.

She remembered helping Tsunade-sama treat him and accelerate and regenerate the muscle, bone and tissue that he'd lost in the fight. He looked to be recovering well. She couldn't quite say the same thing for his cousin.

She snapped out of her reverie when she heard someone clear his throat and she focused on the men standing in front of her.

There was something eerie about being subject to the stares of those blank pupil-less eyes that unsettled Shizune although she did not show it. She bowed to Hiashi whom she knew was the Clan Head and Hinata's father. "Your daughter is doing fine. Her body needs time to recover from the damages it had received. If I recall correctly, it was sustained during the Chuunin Exam a few months ago?"

Hiashi nodded, his face devoid of emotion.

"Why is it taking so long for her to recover?" Saitou a member of the Council, inquired.

"She suffered quite a bit of internal damages," Shizune reminded. "Her body is taking its time repairing the injuries she acquired."

"Is that normal?" Hiko asked. He was a part of the Council, his hair completely white but thick and full. His eyes showed his displeasure at the news. "Neji has suffered much more injuries than her and he is fine and walking about. Even the Akimichi boy is well on his way to recovery despite the critical condition in which he came back to Konoha a few months ago. Compared to the injuries those boys sustained and the amount of time it has taken them to heal. Hinata's recovery rate seems too slow."

Shizune nodded, "That is correct. There may be a number of reasons factoring into her slow recovery. I cannot say for sure until I confer with the Tsunade-sama and she gets to examine Hinata herself."

"But she is well? Hinata is no danger?" Hiashi asked, speaking for the first time.

"She's stabilized and doing well but I would like to keep her in the hospital for a little while longer."

OOO

Everyone had gone home and the hospital was quiet as only the skeleton staff remained for the night shift. Shizune had talked with Neji and asked him if he'd want to stay and keep a eye on his cousin. Neji had readily agreed. He hadn't realized it was that bad.

Neji doubted if anyone else had.

Everyone was so used to overlooking her and thinking of her as weak. If Hinata had walked a little slower or had shown any sign of discomfort or pain, people would most likely have just chalked it off as a sign of her weakness. They would not have realized that she had internal injuries and that she was bleeding inside.

Her chakra channels were a mess too and there was barely enough flow.

It scared him.

Neji stared at the pale face and the slight blue tinge to Hinata's lips. Her breathing wasn't as deep and calm as he would have liked but at least it wasn't harsh, shallow pants. Hyuugas normally had pale skin but Hinata was too pale and there were lavender shadows under her eyes. "You pushed yourself too far, Hinata-sama."

If he hadn't been outside and if hadn't heard her collapse, Hinata wouldn't have gotten the medical attention she s clearly needed.

She could have died.

Neji felt ashamed.

"_Neji, I need you to promise me something, man to man."_

_Little Neji nodded, feeling proud that his father was treating him in such a grown-up way. "What is it Otousan?"_

"_Neji, promise me that you will protect Hinata-sama with your life."_

_Neji nodded readily. He liked his cousin. He thought she was cute, like a little doll. "I promise Otousan. I won't ever let anything happen to Hinata-chan as long as I live."_

_Hizashi smiled, "That's good to hear."_

_Neji smiled back, "May I go play with her now?"_

"_Yes…yes you may…"_

He had given his father a promise to protect Hinata with his life.

He hadn't been protecting her when he'd glared at her.

He hadn't been protecting her when he'd thrown hurtful words her way.

He hadn't been protecting her when he fought with her during the Chuunin exams with the intent of hurting her showing her just how unworthy and weak she was.

His broken promise to his father was a heavy weight on Neji's shoulders, but it wasn't as heavy as the guilt he felt.

He'd blamed Hinata for everything wrong in his life.

He had seen her as the embodiment of all the unfairness done to him.

So sure of his righteousness was he that he was blinded to the truth that all this time, he was the one being unfair to her.

And now, she was laid out in the hospital because of him.

Because of the injuries he'd given her.

She could have died because of him.

The thought made Neji feel sick.

_Otousan, gomen nasai for breaking my promise to you…I swear I'll live up to my word. _

_I won't let anything harm her ever again._

OOO

In outskirts of the woods approaching the village of Konoha, two figures stood hidden in the branches of the trees as they conversed. Both were dressed in monotonous black from their black sandals to the black gloves that covered their hands and the black hooded cloak that covered them from their head to their knees.

One was tall and lithe while the other was a little shorter and had a sturdier frame.

"Are you sure that we're going in the right direction?" the taller one asked.

"Yes. According to Shiryoku, Arasoi is located somewhere in the vicinity of Konoha."

"No offense, but I don't really trust your Shikigami that much."

"Shiryoku says its okay since she thinks you're useless as well."

"Hmph!"

"Come on Akari, let's go."

"Hai, hai…geeze Shida, don't get your panties in a bunch."

OOO

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**A/N: **It's rather AU isn't it? I dunno, but anyway I hope you liked it and didn't find them too OOC. So did you like it? Hate it? Don't want me to continue anymore? Please feel free to say so and tell me what you think about this fic! 

PLEASE REVIEW!


	2. Hinata's New Friend?

**Peripheral** **Vision**

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**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed. REVIEW RESPONSES are at the bottom of the page.

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**Terms Used:**

**Gakidou – **Japanese, literally meaning '**hungry ghost**'.

**Reikai – **It is another plane of existence that connects with our physical world; could be considered a fourth dimension wherein the **_Shikigamis _**dwell.

**Shinigami – **Like the ANBU of Konoha but instead of hunting Missing-nin, they hunt those who try to break the Law of Life and Death. Those people who try to attain Immortality or those who have already died but do not want to go to **Meifu **which is the place all the dead go to be judged.

**Shikigami – **Mythical and spiritual deities who can be summoned by those they have agreed to serve. Most Shinigamis have a Shikigami to aid them in battle.

**Shiryoku – **she is a small fairy and serves as one of Shida's Shikigami. Her name literally means Eyes or Sight and she is most often used for spying or reconnaissance. She is able to track and read spiritual energies but only up to a point.

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**Chapter Two:**

Hinata woke up three days later. She felt light and heavy at the same time, as if she was under water and something was dragging her down. She forced her eyes open and quickly closed them again, blinded by the harsh fluorescent lighting in the room. After taking a few seconds to reorient herself, Hinata cautiously opened her eyes again and blinked a few times to clear her vision. She yelped in surprise when a brown blur appeared in front of her before her vision cleared and she realized it was only Kiba peering down at her with a happy smile on his face. "Hinata-chan! You're awake!" he said enthusiastically.

Only through sheer force of will did Hinata keep herself from wincing as Kiba's loud voice made her ears ring and her head spin. She smiled at him and tried to sit up.

Kiba reached down to help her.

Akamaru yipped happily from his perch on Kiba's head.

"We were so worried, did you know you've been out for three days?"

Shino grabbed a handful of Kiba's jacket and dragged him back. "Give her room to breathe."

Kiba shrugged Shino's hand off. "Alright, alright." He gave Hinata a sheepish smile. "I'm just really glad you're okay. We found out two days ago and we came here as soon as we heard."

"How are you feeling?" Shino asked.

Hinata could feel his eyes studying her from behind his tinted glasses. She looked down at her hands, "I-I'm sorry for worrying you," she said in a small voice. "I-I'm feeling fine now Shino-kun, Kiba-kun, Akamaru. I guess I just overdid it at the dojo…" she said looking back down at her hands. A brief image of the man she'd seen at the dojo fleeted through her mind and chilled her blood.

Had it been real…?

"Hey yeah, what did happen? No one was saying anything about what happened to you and we got really worried! Kurenai-sensei's going to be happy when she hears you're awake, I'll go get her. She's just outside talking to the Hokage about something," Kiba said as he bounded out the room, full of bursting energy and excitement, not unlike a happy puppy dog.

Shino picked up a glass and filled it with water before handing it to Hinata. "I will go ask someone to get you something to eat."

Hinata hadn't even realized how hungry and thirsty she was until Shino mentioned it. She smiled shyly at him. "T-Thank you…"

Shino gave her a nod of acknowledgement before he quietly left the room.

OOO

Throughout the day, people kept stopping by to see how she was doing. Apparently, Kiba had announced to the entire population of Konoha that she was awake again. Ino dropped by with Shikamaru and a bouquet of flowers and well wishes. Hinata asked about Chouji and the blonde genin said that he was recovering well. Sakura dropped by to check on her and even Gai-sensei, Ten-Ten and Lee peeked in on her to say hello.

The sky was already darkening when Kurenai-sensei came in with Kakashi-san in tow. She apologized for not having arrived sooner and explained that she'd been assigned a mission with Kakashi. Kakashi-sensei greeted Hinata and asked how she was doing. They talked for a bit, with Kakashi casually mentioning Naruto's progress in his training and that in one of his letters, he'd asked how Hinata was.

Hinata blushed, a smile of happiness touching her lips briefly at that thought of Naruto remembering to ask after her.

Shizune came in to give Hinata medicine and she shooed both Jounins away and told them that visiting hours were over and that they should just return the next day because Hinata needed to rest up.

Even Tsunade-sama, the Hokage herself, had dropped by to check in on Hinata and see how she was recovering. It had taken a while for Hinata to get over her embarrassment at being in alone with the Leaf's highest ranking official and stop stuttering to the point that she could actually get intelligible words out. Tsunade ordered Hinata to take it easy for a while.

"I will drop by everyday to check on how you're doing, I want you to follow the instructions Shizune sets out for you. When you are discharged from the hospital, I will come by your house now and again to check on your condition. I expect you to recover fully Hinata," Tsunade said.

Hinata blushed and nodded. "H-Hai Hokage-sama…"

Tsunade smiled and patted her hand in a surprising show of motherly affection. She'd heard about Hinata and how the girl had a crush on Naruto. Tsunade had seen the tape of Hinata's fight with her cousin and she felt a spark of admiration for the girl everyone regarded as weak. Hinata's physical condition perplexed the medic-nin. She'd never seen someone with such a slow metabolic rate and weak immune system. Each jutsu she applied seemed to just be assimilated into the girl's body without ever having an effect. Right now, Hinata hovered in the brink. She was very sick but not sick enough to be in danger of dying. Judging from the records, she had probably been in this condition since the Chuunin exams and that had been some months ago.

This was the Hyuuga first born, the supposed heir whose father sent her away in favor of the younger daughter. Kurenai had expressed her concern for the girl and Tsunade had asked the red-eyed kunoichi some questions regarding Hinata's past. Each factor, even the smallest detail, might be instrumental in figuring out what was going wrong with Hinata's health.

The mind was very powerful and there were times when a person's mental state, the psyche, was able to affect his or her physiological state. Hinata was shy, it was glaringly obvious from the first moment Tsunade had caught a glimpse of the girl. She also seemed to have very low esteem. However, despite those things…Tsunade saw a glimmer of determination, a desire to change her self. From all accounts, very few people believed in the girl. Most thought she was weak and would amount to nothing.

"You will prove them wrong one day."

"Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked, not understanding the meaning behind Tsunade's words.

The blonde Hokage smiled. "I'm sure Naruto expects you to be much stronger when he returns. For that you need to be able to train and to train, you must recover first, alright?"

Hinata nodded, blushing and feeling faint at the mention of Naruto's name.

Tsunade smiled to herself and ordered the girl to rest and go to sleep before leaving the room.

Hinata sat up in bed for a long time, staring at her hands and remembering each and every person who had stopped by to wish her well. Not a single one of them possessed white eyes.

Her father did not come.

Her sister did not come.

Her cousin did not come.

No one from her family came.

Hinata settled herself down in bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time before she finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.

A little later, the door opened and Neji came inside to sit by the chair beside Hinata's bed like he'd been doing since that first night she was hospitalized. He would come really late and stay with her through the night until early the next morning.

When Hinata woke up the next day, Neji was already gone.

She never knew he was even there in the first place.

OOO

Neji had just gotten back from training and was going up to his room when the door that led outside to the gardens opened to reveal a slightly mussed Hinata with a smudge of dirt on her cheek. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers she must've cut herself and the moment she saw him, her relaxed stance stiffened and her steps faltered, her eyes dropping to the floor as if all the life had been sucked out of her.

"Hinata-sama," Neji forced himself to say as he bowed to her.

"N-Neji-nis….Neji-san…" Hinata whispered back in acknowledgement of his greeting.

Hinata had stopped calling him Neji-niisan since she got back from the hospital after her collapse at the training hall. Actually, Neji thought maybe she'd stopped calling him niisan before then, but he couldn't remember. He hadn't really seen much of her since the Chuunin Exams so he couldn't be sure. He didn't know how he felt about that though. It was just weird hearing her call him Neji-san instead of the customary Neji-niisan he'd heard from her ever since he can remember.

In a way, it felt sort of like a wall had been erected between them.

This time, he hadn't been the one to build it.

She had.

Neji could remember countless of times in the past when Hinata would approach him and call him niisan and he would rebuff her and say that he wasn't her brother and that she should stop calling him that. Hinata never stopped though…not until she almost died, by his hand.

Neji wanted to apologize to her. In fact, he'd wanted to do it from the time she'd collapsed in the arena, but his anger had held him back. Now, after learning the truth about his father's death, Neji was no longer blinded by his anger and he saw clearly how unfair he had been to his younger cousin who had wanted nothing more than for someone to acknowledge her as family.

He wanted to say sorry, but he couldn't force his tongue to form the words.

Neji wasn't much of a talker.

It was probably because he'd spent so much of his formative years so intent on becoming stronger and proving that he was better than the Main House that what little interpersonal skills he'd been born with had atrophied from lack of use. He had no idea how to go about approaching someone and actually initiating a comfortable, non-hostile or challenging conversation…especially with someone he'd beat up so badly in the past

He ended up just staring at her instead.

Hinata shifted under Neji's scrutiny. His face was completely expressionless and it unnerved her. She knew he was the one who had seen her collapse. She vaguely remembered hearing his voice before she blacked out and her father had told her that it was Neji who had taken her to the hospital.

Hinata had tried to talk to him to thank him, but she never had the opportunity until a chance encounter in the hallway. When she saw him, she'd blurted out her gratitude with a stammered, "T-Thank you…."

Neji had replied with an emotionless, "Don't mention it."

Hinata took his words to heart and never mentioned it again. She'd tried to avoid him as best she could…since from previous experience it seemed the mere sight of her angered him.

She really should've checked first if someone was in the hallway before she entered.

Her eyes landed everywhere except on his face.

He hates you…everyone in your family hates you… 

Hinata winced at the foreign voice she heard in her head. It had been happening rather frequently lately, the whispers skittering through her subconscious and causing her steps to falter in the most inopportune moments. She was scared…was she going insane? Her eyes focused on Neji and she saw his cut and raw knuckles. A small furrow appeared between her brows. "You're bleeding…"

"Training."

"O-Oh…"

He was merciful when he bowed and turned to leave. It was obvious she was not at ease with his presence. In fact, she'd never been at ease with him before…but Hinata had never been afraid of him as she was now. If he apologized to her right at that moment, she would either faint from disbelief or be forced to give her forgiveness even though she did not want to.

He wanted sincerity…and for that, he needed to bide his time.

Her needed her not to be afraid of him anymore.

OOO

Hinata barely made it to her room before she collapsed and started to tremble. She covered her mouth to stifle the cough and felt warm sticky blood coat her palm and fingers.

Why do you persist on being with them! 

"Please…please stop…" Hinata wheezed as she struggled to sit up and lean against the door. She let out another cough and wiped the dribble of blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "Please, I didn't mean to…"

_You don't need them, you only need me…I was always there by your side, I never left you, I always stayed by you…_

"I don't understand you, why do you do this to me?" she rasped out. Ever since her collapse, she'd been hearing his voice in her head and she'd been seeing him appear at the corner of her eyes. When she turned to look, he would be gone.

I've always been with you, even when you were still a child. You've always felt me with you… 

"Stop lying, I don't know who you are!"

Yes you do. I'm your friend Hinata, the only one who ever believed in you. Now you can see me! You can see me! 

Laughter, deep and melodious sounded inside her mind. Hinata felt ghost fingers touch her hair and trace the curve of her cheeks.

You're growing up into a lovely lady Hinata… 

"Please…please go away…" Hinata stammered as she huddled against the door, scared. She activated her Byakugan to see where the intruder was coming from but there wasn't any other chakra signature in the room except her own.

_I will always be beside you. Remember, you need no one else but me. It's always been the two of us, only the two of us my bright angel, my sunshine. _

Hinata huddled against the door and covered her face with her hands, trying to block out the voice and the feeling of another presence in the room with her. What was happening to her? She was getting really scared. She felt warm fingers pry her hand away from her face.

_Open your eyes Hinata…_

Slowly, ever so slowly, she did.

He was kneeling in front of her, that young man she saw earlier. His smile was just as beatific and his blue eyes shown with tenderness as he gazed at her. Blonde hair shone like gold threads as he leaned forward and cupped her face. She heard his voice in her head even though he did not open his mouth to speak.

_Do not be afraid of me. I have watched you grow since you were young. I have always been by your side._

"Don't l-lie…I've never seen you before in my life."

_Just because you've never seen me doesn't mean I was never there. I am always with you Hinata. When you were four and fell into the pond and Neji saved your life…do you remember? _

Hinata stared at the stranger in front of her. "H-How do you k-know that?"

He almost didn't make it. Remember what he said? 

"S-Someone told him t-to go to the pond…"

_That was me Hinata. I was the one who told him. I will take care of you. You don't need anyone else but me. _

OOO

"Hey Hinata!"

"K-Kiba-kun! What are you d-doing here?" Hinata asked as she opened the front door to see Kiba standing there with Shino and Akamaru in tow.

Kiba shifted excitedly, "There's this new restaurant opening in town and I thought all of us could go. Since you still can't do very many missions with us, this way we could all spend time together and you don't have to exert yourself!"

Hinata smiled, touched by the gesture.

"Shino will even pay for your share!" Kiba volunteered, magnanimously.

At this, the Aburame heir shifted a bit but he didn't say anything. Apparently, Kiba's suggestion was new to him as well.

Hinata blushed. "Y-You don't have to Shino-kun, I-I can pay…"

"Don't worry about it," Shino told her with a nod. "I'll pay for you."

Hinata's blush intensified, "T-Thank you…let me just get my jacket, okay?"

Both boys stepped inside the Hyuuga house and Hinata showed them into the living room where they could wait for her while she fetched her things. On her way up the stairs to the second level, Hinata felt something cool brush up against her cheek.

_Don't go with them._

She faltered midway up the stairs but shook her head and kept on going. She pushed open the door to her room and grabbed her jacket from the closet before going to the nightstand to pick up her wallet. It's been so long since she'd gone out, maybe she and the others could go watch a movie or something. She could even pay for them, to thank them for being so nice to her.

Don't go with them! 

By now, Hinata was used to _his_ voice. At first she'd thought he was just a dream or a figment of her imagination but now she was starting to believe that he was her guardian. In the past few weeks since he'd first shown himself to her, he began recounting tales of her youth and watching as she grew up. She had asked him why she could see he him only now and he said that it was because their bond was strengthening.

Hinata kind of liked the sound of it, being bonded with someone.

Along with her teammates and Kurenai-sensei, she had _him_ as a friend too.

It was nice.

"They're my friends," Hinata answered in a whisper. "I want to go with them and they won't hurt me. You can come if you want."

_I don't want to leave this house. Don't go with them Hinata._

"But…Hokage-sama said I'm starting to recover well and that I can do more things now. I'll be okay…" Hinata cried out when she was slammed against the wall by an invisible force. She coughed up blood as her chest tightened painfully, making her cry out in pain.

_Don't disobey me Hinata!_

Hinata slid to the floor coughing.

_The only reason you've been getting well is because of me! I can easily reverse the process. Don't try my patience! _

"I…I-'m sorry…" Hinata said, pressing her palm to her chest as to try and alleviate the tightness there. It was the same feeling as when Neji-niisan had hit her in the fight. She fought hard to breath, tears springing from her eyes.

The young man appeared before her and touched her hair. His form wasn't as solid as usual, he looked more like an ephemeral spirit and Hinata could see through him to the bed and the dresser located behind him.

_I'm sorry Hinata…I don't want to hurt you, don't ever disobey me again._

Hinata nodded and turned her face away, feeling fear skitter up and down her spine.

_Go down and tell your friends you can't go with them._

"H-Hai…" Hinata stammered with a nod, trying to keep herself from sobbing.

He smiled.

_Good girl._

OOO

Kurenai watched from her perch as her team trained. Shino was sparring with Kiba and she could see how painstakingly careful the boy was to keep from hitting Hinata too hard. The Hokage had deemed the Hyuuga heiress well enough to start training with her team again only two weeks ago.

"_She needs to start boosting up her system again. Just as long as she doesn't do anything too hectic, everything should be just fine."_

Kurenai hoped the Hokage was right. Of course she respected and trusted Tsunade's medical prowess but Kurenai couldn't help but worry for her student. Since Hinata's return, the girl seemed even more anxious than usual. The first time Team 8 had been assembled, Kurenai had worried that they wouldn't be able to function well as a group. She was a newly appointed Jounin and this was the first team of genin she was going to handling. How was she going to get them all to work together?

Kiba was too loud.

Shino was too silent.

Hinata was too shy.

Kurenai was pleasantly surprised when she realized that these three kids balanced each other well in their own, unique way. She was actually pretty impressed with how protective both Shino and Kiba was towards Hinata and how caring and solicitous Hinata was towards her teammates. Shino and Kiba tried to keep her from getting hurt. When Shino and Kiba got hurt, Hinata was the one who treated their wounds, blending special medicines and ointments specifically for her team.

As the months passed, Kurenai had seen an improvement in the three's attitude. Kiba was no longer as boisterously loud as before, Shino was still silent but he talked once in a while and Hinata wasn't so shy anymore when around her teammates.

Now however, as Kurenai watched team, she noticed the marked regression Hinata's attitude had gone under. She was shy again; shyer than even the first time she'd met her teammates. She didn't speak that much and she usually kept to herself.

Kiba and Shino had both approached Kurenai with concern with regards to Hinata's welfare. She didn't go out with them after practice anymore when before, they usually ate dinner at least twice a week together. Was everything at the Hyuuga House okay? Were they treating Hinata unfairly again?

Kiba swore he'd behead the lot of them, starting with Neji.

Shino had kept silent but Kurenai sensed that the Aburame boy agreed wholeheartedly with his teammate.

Kurenai really didn't like the Hyuugas. She hated their traditions, their airs and the way they treated Hinata.

She had thought that after proving her determination to succeed in the Chuunin exams, the Hyuugas would at least have given Hinata some respect and acknowledgement, but no. It seemed that things were the same as ever.

It seemed that in the Hyuuga House, nothing has changed.

_And she was so close too…Hinata was so close to finally proving how strong she was._

From her perch in one of the branches atop a tree near the training grounds her team used, Kurenai was able to see a figure walking towards them even before her students did. One dark eyebrow shot up in surprise when she realized who it was that was walking towards her team.

Neji.

_Hyuuga _Neji.

Was he going to confront Hinata?

Attack her?

Apologize?

Kurenai had no idea.

She decided to wait it out and let her students handle it. "That's enough training for today. You can all rest up and go home now," Kurenai called from her branch.

OOO

Neji could feel their eye bore into his back as he walked away with Hinata following behind him. Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino, both of whom were Hinata's teammates. He could feel their anger towards him and their concern for Hinata's welfare. It was clear that the two boys did not trust him to be alone with Hinata.

He didn't really blame them.

Not after what he'd done.

Not that he cared what those two thought of him. He didn't. The only thing that mattered was setting things right and he needed to speak with Hinata-sama for that. He wanted to make up for the years of cruelty and callousness he'd shown her. He had promised his father he would take care of her and protect Hinata-sama with his life.

It was time he lived up to it.

He stopped walking when they were inside the woods and could talk in private. He had activated his Byakugan to see if there was anyone within hearing distance before he chose this particular spot. He turned towards Hinata, his Byakugan deactivated and watched as she kept her eyes trained on the ground as if dirt was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen before in her life.

He frowned as she stiffened as if someone had given her a blow and shifted her feet, her eyes turning to the side and watching the empty space beside her.

She really was pathetic and he wondered how in the world someone had managed to grow up in the Hyuuga House and end up like her. "Hinata-sama," Neji said to call her attention to him.

Hinata jerked in surprise, her startled gaze quickly swinging over to him. "H-Hai! Nani yo, Neji-san?" she asked nervously. He was glaring at her again and she wondered if it was just her or if he always had that expression on his face. The only times she'd seen him he'd worn that look of slight displeasure and disinterest in his face.

"You've been training on your own for a while now."

"Y-Yes."

"It's not working."

Hinata hung her head down in shame.

"I can help you."

It took a while for his words to penetrate Hinata's brain. When it did, she didn't quite believe she'd heard him correctly. She looked up and blinked at him. "N-Neji-ni…Neji-san?"

"I can help you improve."

Hinata gaped at him.

Neji got irritated and he frowned at her.

"Uh…o-okay…t-thank you…" Hinata said reluctantly, looking anything but thankful for his offer. In all actuality, she looked nervous and apprehensive.

As an apology…this really wasn't going very well.

"Hinata-sama…"

"H-Hai…"

Neji made sure that his glare was stern and that he was frowning. "You can call me niisan again, if you want."

A small smile lit up Hinata's face. "H-Hai. Arigato niisan."

He had to protect her and in order to do that; he had to help her change herself.

He had to teach her how to protect herself.

He had to teach her how to be strong.

"You're training is over, correct?"

"Hai."

"Lets go home."

OOO

Konoha was a rather large and prosperous town. As all large and prosperous town, it's commerce was thriving and people were milling around and going in and out of shops buying food, clothes, shoes and other items. Atop one of the buildings beside the quadrangle were two black clad figures, looking over the crowd of people walking around.

"We've been here forever, how in the world are we supposed to find one **_gakidou _**in the midst of all these people?"

"Instead of complaining, why don't you think up a solution Akari?" Shida complained. "Arasoi is a gakidou and is very dangerous to these people." Her partner had been whining about their assignment ever since they arrived in Konoha and it was getting on her nerves.

"I told you, just let Shiryoku scour the area until she finds the vessel the **_gakidou_** is using to remain in this plane. Once we find the vessel, we can exorcise the **_gakidou _**and we can get out of here."

A small sprite-like being about five inches in height with silvery wings attached to it's back appeared in front of Akari.

"Hello there Shiryoku," the dark haired Shinigami greeted with a lazy smile.

Shiryoku frowned and kicked Akari's nose, the small bells attacked to her shoes tinkling melodically upon impact.

Akari cried out and raised a hand to his nose. "Hey! What did you do that for?"

"I'm a Shikigami, a divine spirit! I chose whose summoning I answer to, Akari. I am not a slave and you're not supposed to expect me to do all the work for you, you lazy Shinigami!"

Akari growled, "You just don't like anyone prettier than you, conceited fairy!"

Shida sighed and pulled the bristling fairy away from her partner. "Maa, maa Shiryoku-chan, daijoubu. You can go back to **Reikai** now, I will summon you when we need you."

Shiryoku flipped her long, light blue tresses. "You are NOT PRETTIER than I am!" with that, she stuck out her tongue at Akari before disappearing.

"You know, you really should stop picking on her," Shida commented.

Akari smiled as he studied the people down below. He stiffened and leaned forward. "I need to check something…" he said before he jumped over the railing and disappeared.

"Akari!" Shida yelled after him in annoyance. "Damn it, he's left me to do all the work _again_!"

OOO

There were too many people out. He really hated crowded places and the noise was annoying him. He kept a careful eye on Hinata in case the crowd jostled her. He frowned when he saw her stop to stare across the street at a building and followed her gaze. It was a normal building. Judging from the blush on her cheeks he had half expected to see Naruto standing there without a stitch of clothing on but other than the building itself, Neji saw nothing.

"What's wrong?" Neji asked.

"N-Nothing…niisan," Hinata said as she rubbed her eyes. She could have sworn she saw someone up there at the building at the corner of her eye. Two of them actually, one of which was a very beautiful girl with long dark hair but when she turned they was nothing there.

OOO

To Be Continued… 

OOO

**A/N: **Sorry for torturing Hinata like that! Damn that Arasoi hurting her! Go Hinata, you can do it, be strong and stand up for yourself! So did you like it? Hate it? Please, please review if you want to read more of the story or if you think it totally sucks and I should stop writing it. Thank you! QUESTION, DOES HAKU HAVE A LAST NAME?

**Fried Ryce – **Oh really, you kind of hand the same idea? Well if you still want to write it then its okay, I doubt the specifics of our story would be the same and besides, I love NejiHina and would love to read more stories about the two of them! Thanks for the review and I hope you like this next chapter.

**Blackjewel6666** – I'm glad you enjoyed reading the last chapter and I hope this chapter lives up to it. Please review!

**HaruAme – **Hello! Thanks for the compliment, I'm glad you like my story. Nope, I actually haven't been a Naruto fan for long. Most of what I know about the series is from reading fanfics so sorry if there are some spelling errors or characterization mistakes. I do love the anime thought but I only saw it until Chuunin Exams and I am eagerly awaiting the next episode. (grins) Oh I LOVE Gaara and yeah, as you can see if you check out my profile, most of my stories are RK based because I'm more knowledgeable about that anime.

**Wayfarer-redemption – **Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I've been itching to write it for a while. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please tell me what you thought of it! Thanks.

**Silver – **I think you should still write your Shinigami story. I doubt if the specifics of our stories would be exactly the same anyway. (grins) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**Einld – **Thanks so much for the review! I'm not very confident with my Naruto writing skills yet so I needed all the encouragement I could get. Thanks so much for your review! Yup, I love NejiHina so much too! Actually in most parts of Asia as well as Europe, it's okay to marry your cousin, just not your sibling. And also if you would look at the way the Hyuuga family is set up and how much emphasis they put on their bloodline limit, I think they would so go for Neji and Hinata getting married. Please review!

**Cyberwing – **I'm glad you liked my story, I hope you liked this chapter too! Please review!

**Crazy-antman – **Well I hope your questions regarding the Shinigami and Shikigami have been answered in this chapter. I hope you are still enjoying this story!

**Toorikosu – **Hey there! You also read my RK stuff! I've just gotten into the Naruto fandom and I ADORE NejiHina!


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